SIKKIM AND SCIENCE.pptx

EBSB School Sikkim Project

1. SIKKIM AND SCIENCE

2. DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN SIKKIM Department of Science & Technology in the State has been created during 1996 mainly for Research and Development in various identified areas relevant to the state, generation of scientific awareness and also for transfer of appropriate technologies for economic upliftment of the weaker section of the society.Further, Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology was also created keeping in view the importance of Science & Technology for overall development of the state and with a view to provide sufficient autonomy for implementation of various scientific programmes.The broad objectives of the Sikkim State Council of Science & Technology are as under: I)To increase the Science & Technology infrastructure for meeting the challenging demands in basic research, technological development and scientific services.II)To identify the areas where Science & Technology intervention could significantly improve the existing socio-economic conditions. III)To identify areas of long term development of the State by ensuring application of science and technology developed so far. IV)Replication of success models and undertaking pilot scale demonstrations projects. V)Develop appropriate mechanisms for reducing the time lag between an invention and its commercialization. VI)To supplement the efforts of the State Government in implementing various projects whenever and wherever called for.VII)To popularize technologies and initiate scientific attitude and temperament amongst the people of the State through awareness and training programmes. VIII)To facilitate the scientists and the entrepreneurs in promoting technology transfers, establishing a strong relationship among the academics, research institutes and industry, guidance for developing entrepreneurship.

3. Cane (Rattan) Conversation and Promotion of Cane Handicra fts for sustainable livelihood Cane (Rattan) Conversation and Promotion of Cane Handicrafts for sustainable livelihood CANE CONSERVATION AND PROMOTION OF CANE HANDICRAFTS This project was initially sanctioned for the period of 2010-2013 but to accomplish some remaining activities it was extended till May 2014 . The project is mainly based on the research & development for the livelihood sustainability of Dzongu tribal Reserve Area, North Sikkim. While studying the species diversity of cane in Sikkim, 8 species have been reported so far and out of which 6 species have been successfully traced from Dzongu while executing the project. The species Calamus acanthopodius, has being found to be widely used due to its durability. However, the population of the species has been drastically reduced and facing threats due to over exploitation and unscientifically extraction from the wild habitat. During 2013-14 altogether 100 farmers from 7 GPUs have been successfully trained for cane propagation through seeds. The master-craftsmen from the local area have also been trained for value addition of cane made products. During the year the propagation of the Sikkim’s only endemic Rattan(cane), Calamus inermis has been successfully done and some of the sapling have been put into field trail at the premises of Biotechnology research & Application center, Sazong Rumtek. The propagation of Calamus flagellum, Plectocomia himalayena has also been successfully done at Hee- Gyathang.

4. SIKKIM CANE(RATTAN)

5. CLIMATE CHANGE AWARENESS PROGRAMME The Sikkim State Climate Change Cell conducted Climate Change awareness programme in 26 Block Administrative Centers (BACs) in 4 districts of Sikkim. The programme was linked with National Science Day 2015 on the Theme of “Science for Nation Building” organized by Sikkim State Council of Science and Technology. About 500 people including Panchayat members, NGOs, Self Help groups, staff of BACs, students and general public were sensitized on Climate Change in one month long awareness programme. The response of the participants was very impressive and most of them suggested to carry out more programmes in upcoming days. So far, awareness programme has been carried out in Educational institutions, State Science Centre and Block Administrative Centers.In addition, a small Climate change information booklet for the awareness of general public is prepared by State Climate Change Cell on the “Climate Change in Sikkim Himalaya”. The booklet in addition provide information based on different responsibilities of general public to minimize the carbon footprints. The booklet is ready to send for official approval and publication.

6. CLIMATE CHANGE VULNERABILITY MAPPING State Climate Change Cell has started working with the creation of baseline information required for vulnerability mapping and assessment of Sikkim.For the valid information on land use pattern of the state, Land use map prepared under SISDP project of Remote Sensing Centre has been used for analysis.The land use mapping were carried out by using the mosaic of CARTOSAT and LISS IV imageries.The land use sub classes such as agricultural area, Built up area (Urban/Rural), cropland, forest, guiled /ravenous, lake/ponds, river stream, sandy areas, scrub land, transportation (Pucca/Kutcha roads) area has been extracted and area coverage by each of the classes is calculated in hectares.So far the land use classification of three districts East, South and North has been completed.The data from the Socioeconomic Census 2005 have been sourced from DESME (Department of Economics, Statistics and Monitoring & Evaluation) Sikkim.The data analysis carried at GPU level from Socioeconomic Census 2005 are total household, Below Poverty Line household, the types of house build in the area viz Pucca, Kutcha, and Semi pucca, types and source of drinking water (Spring and River), the dependent population of the area, sex ratio, status of education. In addition the status of health, availability of PHC/Dispensary/PHSC, VLW Centre, and Veterinary Hospital of the area are also covered.Population Census data 2011 of Sikkim has been also used and analysis is going on.It is suggested that capacity building and more trainings to do the high resolution Vulnerability Assessment is required for the technical manpower and scientists of State Climate Change Cell.

7. IDENTIFICATION OF BAMBOOS IN SIKKIM Bamboo is one of the most common forest resources in Sikkim. Its wide range of uses and its great versatility qualifies it to be a multiple use alternative to timber and food to the rural poor and tribal people. Bamboo related industries both modern and traditional really play a vital role in solving rural labor, especially the off-farm season labor, and contribute tremendously to the income generation, thus alleviate poverty and improve wellbeing for the rural people.The development scenario is clear. It is a common understanding that natural bamboo is plethora while craft-villages, bamboo based-furniture, industrial floor, construction material, and paper industry are in the thirsty of raw materials. The only concerned issue is how much bamboo resource Sikkim has, where and what they are. Therefore, there is a great demand to survey bamboo resource at district levels in order to have appropriate strategy for exploitation and management.This is one of the first attempts in Sikkim to estimate forest resource using satellite images. The IRS P6 LISS III, multispectral images of 23.5 m resolution image was used for demarcating bamboo in the forest of Sikkim. Unsupervised and supervised classification with detailed ground check was done to delineate all bamboo areas. Items such as paddy, tea, evergreen forest and to some extent reeds was separated from bamboo by examining training sites containing these items during supervised classification. The appearance of bamboo in dry and wet areas is was slightly different. The present estimates of bamboo covered area in the forest of whole Sikkim is about 21496.21 ha which is about 3.03% of the total geographical area of the Sikkim and 6.23% of the total forest cover area of Sikkim. The bamboo found in Sikkim Himalayas was categorized into three class according to its canopy coverage. It was found that almost all of the bamboos found in Sikkim are used for domestic and social uses. Bamboo is mainly used for house construction, scaffolding, ladders, mats, baskets, fencing, garden support, fodder, fishing rods, walking sticks, tool- handles, pipes, toys, handicrafts etc. Most of the bamboo shoots are used for human consumption.

8. SIKKIM BAMBOO

9. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE With the support of Department of Science and Technology, Gov. of India, long term monitoring of East Rathong glacier is going on from the year 2013. State Climate Change Cell is dedicated to work for baseline data of Glacier dynamics of East Rathong glacier, which is only benchmark glacier in Eastern Himalaya.State Climate Change Cell is continuously monitoring the South Lhonak Lake from many years. After Scientific interventions in 2014, the State Climate change Cell also played a major role in Siphoning of South Lhonak Lake in the year 2016 as part of mitigation approach towards GLOFs. As a part of project with Centre for Development and Advanced Computing (CDAC), Pune, the Climate Change Cell actively engaged for installation of Lake monitoring and information System (water level Sensor) at South Lhonak lake in September 2016. The sensor gives the water level of the lake and also monitor sudden fluctuation in water level. The Water Level Sensor is in experimental phase. The same type of sensor has also been installed at Kupup Lake, North Sikkim on May 2016.State Climate Change Cell is also engaged impact of climate change on human health and particularly focusing on various climate sensitive diseases prevailing in the state. The baseline data has been acquired through Annual Report of 2013-2014 (Health Department, Sikkim) and Sikkim Health Information Bulletin 2014 from Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Division, Health Department, Sikkim.

10. SIKKIM STATE CLIMATE CHANGE CELL Sikkim State Climate Change Cell is established in October 2014 under Sikkim State Council of Science and Technology, an autonomous organization of Department of Science and Technology, Government of Sikkim. The Cell is established under National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system (NMSHE), one of the missions under National Action Plan on Climate Change, supported by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. It was opened to work on minimizing the effect of climate change and to achieve sustainable development in the state.

11. STUDY OF GLACIER DYNAMIC OF EAST RATHONG GLACIER OF SIKKIM HIMALAYAS The study of Glacial Dynamics of East Rathong Glacier (ERG) started in 2012. In the first field visit, the stakes were fixed using manual method of stake fixation with the help of GI pipe in order to find out the glacier velocity and ablation pattern in non-ablation period. Out of confusion in identification of snout, the team monitored the ablation pattern up to frontal area of exposed ice in ablation area of East Rathong Glacier (ERG). The stakes were fixed on an average depth 6-9 feet, but all these stakes found fallen on the surface of the glacier in next field visit in the last week of June 2013. It shows the high rate of melting in non-ablation season. One stakes fixed in debris cover in the lower ablation area near the snout found intact, which signifies the low ablation rate in the debris covered area of the glacier. In this stakes, ablation of the glacier is recorded 1.78 meters in non-ablation season.Though manual method of stake fixation did not allow us to get the concrete idea to carry out ablation pattern and velocity study, but it shows the high rate of melting in ERG. The study team calculates the ablation of more than 2 meter thickness. The study also suggests the need of steam drilling machine for further studies in ERG.In pre ablation season of 2013, due to the non-availability of steam drilling machine with the center, we decided to use the stakes fixed with steam drilling machine by TERI, Delhi in order to study the ablation pattern and glacier velocity. Due to vastness of the glacier the study team not able to find out some stakes in crevasses prone areas of the glacier. The ablation study shows very high rate of melting in the last ablation season. Within three months, the melting recorded from 2.30 meters to 3.86 meters.

12. In terms of glacier velocity study, the movement of the glacier found around 2.42 meters to 8.56 meters in three months. Complete figure of velocity study will be available in next ablation season. The stake monitoring was done with the help of Topcon DGPS, so high accuracy was insured. Snout monitoring is one of the important parts of glacier dynamic study. The study team encounters lot of confusion in identification of snout of ERG due to the presence of huge seracs and debris cover. Finally, the study team identified the proper snout of the glacier with intense survey of the glacier surface. In last ablation season snout of ERG were marked using DGPS at an elevation of 4678 meters.The team successfully carried out the Hydrology study of the glacier in terms of Discharge measurement and suspended sediment load studies in last ablation season from July to September 2013. Besides these studies, important aspects of meteorological studies, such as daily temperature and humidity, rainfall, wind direction were recorded with the help of manual meteorological instrument. The study team also completed survey of accessible areas of glacier using Total Station with contour interval of 1 meter which is first kind of survey in glacier area in Sikkim. Chemical analysis of water also done at the end of last ablation season.Apart from above field studies, Centre is working on various aspect of ERG, such as fluctuation of frontal part of the glacier using temporal satellite images from the period between 1976 and present, snow monitoring of catchment area of the glacier and Sikkim, Inventory mapping of Glaciers of Sikkim using satellite images etc.

13. EAST RATHONG GLACIER

14. EAST RATHONG GLACIER IS SOUTH FACING AND UNDER STRESS FROM CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS

15. ICE BLOCKS SEPARATED FROM THE MAIN GLACIER BODY OF EAST RATHONG GLACIER

16. TRANSFER OF TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION AND POPULARIZATION OF SCIENCE A)Establishment of Sikkim Science Centre In Marchak, East Sikkim The Sikkim Science Centre is one of the important facilities created for communication, popularization and outreach of science and technology in the State. This Centre has been set up at Marchak, East Sikkim with the support of National Council of Science Museums, Government of India. The Science Centre has a number of thematic galleries, outdoor science park and facilities for training and capacity building programme.The further extension of Sikkim Science Centre is being taken up with the support of National Council of Science Museums, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. This will include 8 meter dia Planetarium, 3D shows as well as thematic galleries on biotechnology and biodiversity.The Innovation Hub is proposed to be set up in Science Centre, Marchak funded by Innovation Council under ‘Scheme for Promoting Innovation, Creativity and Engagement in Science’ (SPICE) to inspire young minds and to develop a culture of innovation in the country.

17. SIKKIM SCIENCE CENTRE, GANGTOK, MARCHAK, EAST SIKKIM

18. B) ENVIS Centre Sikkim on Eco-tourism ENVIS is a decentralized system with a network of distributed subject oriented centers ensuring integration of national efforts in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination to all concerned. The focus of ENVIS since inception has been on providing environmental information to decision makers, policy planners, scientists and engineers, research workers, etc. all over the country.The Centre has been working on building up extensive information system on ecotourism in the country. The center is continuously working on collection, collation and dissemination of information on Ecology, Environment and Ecotourism. The information system consists of state wise information on all parameters related to ecotourism. Information on National as well as state ecotourism policies of the country has been uploaded to bring it into a single platform for easy access and use by decision makers, planners as well as researchers. Parameters like Region wise Network of Eco-tourism sites, Wildlife and Avian Ecology and Endemicity in India, Wildlife sanctuaries & protected areas., Location wise distribution of threatened animals, Institutional Network of museums in India, State wise movement of Domestic and Foreign tourists, Situation of Agri-Tourism by region, Ecotourism travel infrastructure, Information system of eco-tourism, Economic benefits of birds and animals can be found in the website.The website also gives comprehensive information on status of R&D in Eco-tourism, Documentation on Specie-wise details, habitat, food, human interaction, Educational, Research Institutions, Situation of wild life crime, misuse, Legal, regulatory network by region from all over the country.

19. C) Bio-Informatics infrastructure Facility (BIF) for the Biology Teaching through Bio-Informatics(BTBI) under BTISnet DBT at Sikkim Science Centre, Marchak i. Developing the website to creating awareness of biotechnology through bioinformatics. ii. Development of interactive information and interpretation kiosk with visuals on different facets of biodiversity of Sikkim. iii. Collection, collation, compilation & dissemination of biotechnology related information to students. iv. Nature interpretation facility about wild sanctuary and Nature Park. v. Development of interactive computer based quizzes on bio resources of Sikkim. D) National Children’s Science Congress Annual Programme a)DBT-Natural Resources Awareness (DNA) Clubs programme in Sikkim State i. To enhance understanding among students about the immense value of biological diversity of our country, the importance of locally available bio resources, their sustainable use and conservation. ii. To equip them with relevant skills for bio resource conservation. iii. To familiarize students with scientific and technological issues related to biotechnology.

20. iv. To provide students with an experimental learning opportunity. v. To create opportunities for hands on experiments in the field at the school level. vi. To organize field trips to National Institutes and National Biological parks of the country. b) Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) INSPIRE Programme is centrally funded flagship programme of the Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India which is being implemented through State Governments and UT administrations. The objective of this programme is to develop scientific temper amongst the young and to motivate them to take up scientific career for the scientific and technological advancement of the country. This programme has five components covering entire range of education and research from class VI to post-doctoral stage of a student. The first component of this programme is INSPIRE Award which recognizes the talents among students at a very early stage.

21. THANK YOU